Thursday, August 10, 2017

So this is an experiment in extending the random character advancement concept to include prestige classes.

Red Dragon Fighting Society training

If you can find one of Archduke Jackal's rogue dojos and have a thousand gold pieces burning a hole in your pocket, then you too can learn the exquisite art of kicking butts and taking names. After completing the initial training, you get one roll on the table below. And you get a cool embroidered patch like the one pictured in the ad, suitable for sewing onto your denim jacket or wizard hat. Displaying the patch gets you +1 reaction rolls from fellow Society members, but -1 reactions from other monks and martial artists, who tend to view the Archduke as a huckster ruining the reputation of the fighting arts by half training a bunch of dangerous amateurs.

After the initial training, you may also use this table any time you level up in lieu of one (just one) of your normal advancement rolls.

01 You get nothing. Maybe this Kung Fu stuff is bullshit after all.02-15 You get better at fighting: +1 to hit in melee only.16-19 You toughen up: +1 on all saves.20-24 You learn the art of being punched and not flinching: +1d6 hit points.25-28 You get some basic weapon training. Roll d6 for the particular weapon.

dagger

hand axe

polearm (choice of polearm if that matters in your game)

spear

staff

club

You get a damage bonus with the weapon rolled equal to your level. If you don't have basic proficiency with the weapon, then you gain that but only get half your level (round up) as a damage bonus. Should you roll this again and the d6 turns up with the same weapon, your damage bonus advances to your new level.29 Anime Leap. If at the start of combat the distance to your nearest foe is 10 to 30 feet away and the

ceiling is at least 10 foot high, you can leap/charge at your foe. If you hit, they take triple damage. If that kills them, any friends of theirs must make an immediate morale check. Reroll if you get this result again.

30 You get stronger. +1 Strength, up to your racial max or the max in your system. Reroll if you are already at maxxed out Str.

31-38 Your unarmed attacks become deadlier, following this progression d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 damage. Reroll after you get to d12. If you want to be any deadlier than that with your fists, then you should have became a proper Monk.

39 You get some exotic weapon training and a set of weapons to go with.

Pair of Sais: attack twice per round (no penalty), damage as per daggers, +1 Ac for each sai (i.e. +2 ac when using the pair.)

Pair of Nunchuks: attack twice per round (no penalty), damage d6 each, but if you roll a natural 1 to-hit you whack yourself

Advanced Quarterstaff Technique: You get d4-1 staff attacks per round, if you roll a zero you spend the round parrying instead, +3AC when that happens

Katana, motherfucker! If you wear no armor and use no shield it does d20 damage! Holy shit! Under any other circumstances it is just a sword.

Shuriken. Each one has the range of a thrown dagger and does d3 damage, but you can throw as many in a round as your level plus Dex bonus (min 1). You get the family pack of 20 throwing stars.

If you roll this result more than once, reroll the d6 until you collect all six skills. After that, reroll the percentage dice if you get this result again.

40 You become more nimble. +1 Dexterity, up to your racial max or the max in your system. Reroll if you are already at maxxed out Dex.

41-44 You are getting good at spotting opportunities for kicks and punches. Any round you are in melee, roll a d6. On a 1 you get an extra unarmed strike. When you roll this again, increase the range for extra attacks. E.g. someone who has rolled this 3 times has a 3 in 6 chance of getting an extra unarmed strike each round. Some cheater who has rolled this 7 times always get an extra strike each round and has a 1 in 6 chance of getting another one.45-46 You know how to roll with the fall. You take no damage from falls of 10' or less, including getting knocked down in combat, throws from horses, etc. You take half damage from falls of up to 30' feet. Additional rolls of this item add 10' to the no damage range and 15' to the half damage range.47-48 Ghost Punch Style. Your unarmed attack can affect creatures that are only vulnerable to silver or cold iron. If you roll this again, you can punch creatures that need +1 or better magic weapons to harm them. A third roll allows you to pummel monsters needing +3 or better as well as ethereal and otherwise nonmaterial foes. Reroll this result after the third roll.49 You become hardier. +1 Constitution, up to your racial max or the max in your system. Reroll if you are already at maxxed out Con.50-51 Dang, you're fast. +10'/round to your base movement.52 Your devotion to kung fu brings you closer to the natural world. You can speak with animals once per day. You may have one question-and-answer exchange for each level of experience you possess. Reroll if you get thus result again.

53-54 Under a situation where you can save for half damage and dodging could be the reason why, you instead take one quarter damage when you save. If you roll this again, a save now indicates no damage. Rolled a third time and a failed save does only half damage to you. Reroll if this item comes up a fourth time.55 The inner machinations of your mind have been transformed into a beautiful lotus jewel, dazzling to others. Any time someone tries to read your mind or use any psionic funny stuff on you, there is a flat 50% chance it will fail. Reroll this result if it comes up again.56-58 Any time you make a successful unarmed attack against a foe with a functional brain and the to hit roll is 19 or better, they are stunned for d6 rounds. Every time you roll this, the stun range becomes one wider, going to 18+, then 17+, etc.

59-60 You reflexes become catlike. When the surprise dice indicate the baddies have the drop on you, you get a Wisdom roll to act anyway. Reroll this result if it comes up again.61-62 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Parkour. One a successful Dex check you may run up to 30' straight up a wall and over obstacles and junk. Reroll this result if it comes up again.63 Hadoken! You can now summon and shoot blue balls of kung fu energy. The range is 60' and they do 2d6 damage to one target. It takes a full round of spellcaster-like concentration to summon one and you have to roll to-hit. +1d6 damage for each subsequent reroll of this item.64-65 You so regulated your metabolism that neither haste nor slow spells affect you any more.66 The next time you score a critical hit (or natural 20 to-hit if your DM doesn't use crits) you may opt to rip out your opponent's heart and show it to them before they die. You may do this only once. Obviously, this will only work on certain kinds of creatures.67-68 Mr. Miyagi hands. You may heal yourself or someone else once per day for d6 hit points, though critical strikes and other special effects are not cured. Subsequent rolls increase the die size of the healing to d8, d10, d12, d20. Reroll this result after that.69-79 Ki shout. Once per session you may begin a combat by shouting "Hi-YAH!" or some other nonsense. The enemy must make an immediate morale check. The roll is at -1 if you have just charged them. Reroll this result if it comes up again.80 Elegant Step. When you opt to exit melee no one gets any sort of back attack as you withdraw. Reroll this result if it comes up again.81-82 Now you are the sensei. You may train all your henchmen in any one other thing you have rolled on this chart. Reroll if you are rolling on this chart for the first time or otherwise have nothing to pass on.83-85 Trip and throw specialist. Any time you roll the exact number you needed to hit a foe in melee, they are also thrown to the ground, provided they are no larger than man-sized. If there is a ledge or vat of acid or something handy, you can make a Dex roll to drop them into it. Roll this result again and you can throw anything ogre-sized or smaller. A third roll allows you to throw any foe smaller than the universe. Reroll after that.86 Pick an object, any object that is not normally thought of as a weapon and wouldn't normally do a lot of damage. A quill, for instance. Or a spoon. That kind of object now does d8 damage in your hands. Pick another object if you roll this again.87-88 Shattering strike. Once per session you can punch any single, non-magical wooden object to a gazillion splinters. Great for that one dungeon door no one can open. Roll again and you can also do that with non-magical metal or stone. Rolled a third time and you can affect magical objects as well. Reroll this result after that.89 Stooge Fu: Once per combat you can do the ol' double eyepoke. If you hit the foe takes normal unarmed damage and is incapacitated for d4 rounds. Doesn't work on anything you can't eyepoke, either due to lack of eyes, too many eyes, or too widely spaced eyes. Reroll this result if it comes up again.90-92 You may bat away normal non-magical thrown and missile attacks by saving versus petrification. If you roll a 20 for the save, you snatch the weapon out of the air and throw it back for an immediate counter-attack. Cool! One a second roll of this item, you can also bat away stuff like catapult stones and cannonballs. Reroll this result if it comes up again after that.93 Kip Up. Any time you are prone you may make a Dex check to stand up and still act in that round. Reroll this result if it comes up again.94 Inner Peace. By meditating you can rest and recuperate twice as fast as normal.95-97 You get better at dodging blows. Your AC is +1 when unarmored. Each subsequent roll you can opt for another point of AC or expand it to include leather, then chain, then plate. By multiple rolls you can eventually end up with +5 unarmored, +3 in leather, +2 in chain, or +1 in platemail. Past that, reroll if this result comes up again.98 Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru. After any successful unarmed strike you may declare the foe "already dead." They then take your choice of the worse (higher) of two d20 rolls in damage or your pick from two throws on your DM's handy crit chart. You may do this just once.99 Crane Strike. Once per combat you can spend a whole round entering the Crane Stance. Your next unarmed strike is against Ac9 [10], no matter what sort of armor or Dex the foe possesses. Only Ac bonuses from cover or concealment apply.

100 You grow more wise. +1 Wisdom, up to your racial max or the max in your system. Reroll if you are already at maxxed out Wis. If you ever reach 18 Wisdom using this method of advancement, you realize this whole amateur chop socky scene is a bit rubbish. You may never use this chart again.

"Man, is there anything Jeff CAN'T do when it comes to gaming? This guy is like a critical 20 every roll. Jeff can bite the heads offa five game geeks, including their sorry-ass DM, and spit 'em into a large duffel bag ONE AT A TIME!...that's just the kind of messed up bastard he is! You think yer a gamer, punk? Well..do ya? Jeff will depants your weasel-ass right in front of your grandma."